Refugees are survivors. As Americans, we share their values: the will to overcome any obstacle, to assert independence, to defend hard-won freedoms, and to achieve success through sheer determination. (photo by Christian Fuchs — Jesuit Refugee Service/USA)

Our country’s welcome of these newcomers expresses who we are as a people. It is a sign of our commitment to the rights of refugees to seek and enjoy asylum from persecution.

(Washington, D.C.) January
20, 2017 — Jesuit Refugee Service/USA Interim Executive Director Fr. Leo J. O’Donovan
S.J. notes that welcoming refugees and migrants “reflects our desire to respond
to the call of the Jewish and Christian scriptures to welcome strangers among
us, especially those in danger or great need.”

The full letter follows…

Dear Mr. President

Congratulations on your
inauguration. Americans, whether supporters or critics of your candidacy, know
that in the days ahead you will have to come to grips with many challenges that
will affect not only the well-being of the people of the United States, but of
all peoples worldwide. All Americans hope that you will address these issues
effectively and in accord with the deep values of our country.

Not least of these challenges
is the U.S. response to human migration. Today people are on the move in
unprecedented numbers. Some move voluntarily, drawn by economic opportunities or
family ties.

Others — some 65 million and
growing — have been forcibly uprooted by war, persecution, ethnic and religious
strife, dire poverty, natural catastrophe, or environmental degradation. Their
number is equivalent to the entire population of Great Britain.

Our organization, Jesuit
Refugee Service, knows well the struggles refugees face. We know how eager they
are to live in safety, use their skills to regain self-sufficiency, and prepare
their children for a better future.

Refugees are survivors. As
Americans, we share their values: the will to overcome any obstacle, to assert independence,
to defend hard-won freedoms, and to achieve success through sheer
determination. This should come as no surprise, because so many Americans have
come to our country as refugees.

In earlier days, these were
Irish escaping man-made famine, Scots driven from their land, Jews and
Evangelicals escaping Soviet repression. In recent years they have included
Vietnamese prisoners of war, the workers and translators who supported U.S.
forces during our wars in Iraq, and survivors of conflict in Somalia, Burma,
and Syria.

In the past four decades,
about three million such refugees have been offered new lives in the United
States under the U.S. resettlement program. They are weaving their lives into
the tapestry of this country through the work of their hands.

Our country’s welcome of these
newcomers expresses who we are as a people. It is a sign of our commitment to
the rights of refugees to seek and enjoy asylum from persecution. It reflects
our desire to respond to the call of the Jewish and Christian scriptures to
welcome strangers among us, especially those in danger or great need. It is rooted
in the recognition that all men and women possess a shared human dignity and, in
the eyes of faith, are sons and daughters of a loving Creator who calls us
together as one human family.

Though essential for those most in need,
asylum and resettlement can assist fewer than one percent of the world’s
refugees. Most will remain in temporary exile until they can return home.

This reality places a tremendous strain on
the very poor countries that host the vast majority of refugees. It is
essential that U.S. assistance to these host countries be continued and indeed
increased. The U. S. should also intensify its leadership in diplomatic efforts
to alleviate the underlying causes of forced migration, and to facilitate safe
return when conditions allow. As Pope Francis said before our Congress in
September 2015: “In a word, if we
want security, let us give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we
want opportunities, let us provide opportunities.”

Mr. President, the generosity
of the United States in response to the needs of refugees is a source of our reputation
as “the last best hope of humankind” and expresses our highest moral values.

Our leadership in this effort
will also benefit our country economically and politically by contributing to
world peace and stability. In today’s uncertain international environment we
should seize the opportunity to advance human dignity through a revitalized
refugee response.

When you consider actions you
might take to fulfill your promise to make America great again, remember the
greatness of heart that is at the foundation of just and humane U.S. refugee
assistance. Our nation and our world look to you for a magnanimous response to
those who have been forced from their homes.